I just watched the video for a second time. Your building was very well done. It brought back a memory of a book that I have that was written by a great modeler Art Curren. Back in 1988 he wrote about how you could make a “tarpaper” roof using tissue paper. Good ideas never die. I also subscribe to Boomer’s channel. You can never get too many good ideas
Couldn't agree more. I had Art's kitbashing book out from the library many years back as a kid and was amazed by what he was doing. I was too young to sort of look objectively beyond the materials to see texture and form from an artist's perspective as he did. Maybe that's why nowadays I have four ways I model concrete using different materials. None of them are my original idea, and each one works beautifully for a particular situation on the layout.
Excellent work Eric. The attention to and extension of details on a small layout really make such a difference. Chicago Crossing feels so much larger than it is. Have a great Sunday. Scott
Really nice transformation of the bridge scene building…love all the added details…modifying those DPM kits was something I never though about…maybe try one
Thanks much - and good luck, I modified a DPM in one of my first at the bench videos. Totally doable. At least for N-scale I find the DPM kits to be good filler but don't really think much of the molding or detail quality. The Kelly's Cafe is a Lunde Studios kit which is better, but even then the resin molding is not amazing and I'll probably end up replacing all the windows.
The bridge tender’s house looks great. One thing you might want to do is paint and weather the telephone pole, maybe paint the insulators and add some old wires hanging from them. Your buildings look great. I like how you modified them to keep them up to date. Excellent work!
Awesome thanks Scott I appreciate it! It's been great watching your channel, there are a lot of similarities between where you shoot and where I model, so it's a great resource for me.
What an amazing transformation of the bridge keeper's building and surrounds. The detail that you put into it, while often not immediately noticeable, makes this a living model.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR To be honest I think I could spend hours just looking and exclaiming at the details on this layout. This is something that I aspire to and am constantly looking for ways to add detail which do not affect my pocket. Greetings to you from Portugal. 🇵🇹
@@melkitson obrigado! The part about cost is always a tricky one. Maybe 3D printing starts to solve the issue, but the upfront investment for a quality printer and lots of failures in the beginning isn't trivial.
Glad to see all those glorious fallen flag 40' boxcars. I model 1962, so 99% of my rolling stock is fallen flag. The 1% is a Union Pacific boxcar I haven't built yet. 🙂 Cheers from Wisconsin! PS. Great modifications on those buildings to put them in your era. And I'm a BD subscriber, of course.
Thanks Andrew, and I do enjoy running that 'old' stuff, someday I'll get around to weathering it :). I've been following Boomer since Glover Road and I think there's a direct correlation to my skills improving and the start of his channel.
Great work on the layout. I have that same lift bridge kit and plan on incorporating it into a layout project. I've seen many of these types of bridges in NJ that work under automation. An image search of railroad draw bridges in NJ will provide some good reference points for modeling the automation equipment details.
With magic of Google Earth and street, you can go everywhere including urban decay in some cities where old buildings, including residential with former ornate really nice façades are now abandonned with partially or totally collapsed roof. Sometimes only 4 walls remain. Some new ways to decorate inside of these, full of vegetation and growing trees among debris, windows frames inside and boarded outside visible through roof. Decays can be fun also.
I’m a fairly recent subscriber and haven’t watched all your videos yet. I was drawn to subscribing because I grew up on the Southside, in the Roseland neighborhood. You have done a great job with your attention to detail and attempting to give the layout a Southside feel. That being said, in my opinion, you have one glaring omission on the layout. I have not seen a single reference to my beloved (albeit disappointing) White Sox. How about a billboard advertisement? 😊 Keep up the good work and entertaining videos
Your layout design, construction, scenery details, operation, and video presentations are exceptional! Would it be possible to obtain a copy of your track plan? I would like to look into building this layout in HO scale. I recently downsized to a senior living community and have a 2BR apartment, so my space is limited. I have been an avid model railroader for over 50 years and just prior to downsizing I had an O-scale, 3-rail hi-rail layout that was featured in the July 2016 Classic Toy Trains. Unfortunately, that layout had to be dismantled and donated; however, I had many years of enjoyment scenicing and operating the layout.
Thanks Carl. I took a look at the contents of Classic Toy Trains and man that looks like an awesome layout. Congrats on creating a work of art. I don't have a particularly useable track plan other than what you see popping up on my videos, which was basically a low-res screenshot of a plan on the 'net. I really didn't know what I was doing back then. Happy to send you that image, at least it's something, just let me know how to get it to you.
Yeah, I agree Boomer models HO but it works well in N scale. Your layout is first cabin, you have packed in a small space a layout you can rail fan or operate.🏅🏆
Thank you Will, where translating HO is tougher is some of those really tiny builds like transformers and small HVAC equipment (plus I'm a klutz) but magnifiers and tweezers have definitely helped :)
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Yes we are at a disadvantage size wise on certain builds. Have you tried his method on Trees and Stairs ? I used to do nothing but Super Trees but slowly I am making Wire trees, I cover the trucks with modeling paste and cover while still wet with colored tile grout . Like I said before you have a great looking layout!
@@wilzdart funny you should mention trees, the supertrees on my layout are becoming denuded of 'leaves' after almost 8 years. Boomer's point about using non-solvent adhesives is being demonstrated in reality on my layout. I'm going to make at least a few 'hero' wire trees and then see how that goes. I love the methodology, glad to hear it's worked for someone on N scale. Did you make any adjustments to wire gauge for this?
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I used matte medium to fix the cover on the limbs. What I did on wire tree armatures was to solder more wires to fill out the trees. Another thing I did was to cover the trunk with paper tape not a lot and applied MM and while still wet sprinkled on colored Tile grout powder. Wire gauge was floral wire. Too bad I can not post a picture.
Love watching your progress.
Best wishes from Australia 🇦🇺
Thank you Andrew!
Your buildings look great! Brookner is an amazing artist and what’s great about him, he shares his talents with all of us.
Thanks for sharing too, Ron
Much appreciated Ron, cheers and have a great weekend!
I just watched the video for a second time. Your building was very well done. It brought back a memory of a book that I have that was written by a great modeler Art Curren. Back in 1988 he wrote about how you could make a “tarpaper” roof using tissue paper. Good ideas never die. I also subscribe to Boomer’s channel. You can never get too many good ideas
Couldn't agree more. I had Art's kitbashing book out from the library many years back as a kid and was amazed by what he was doing. I was too young to sort of look objectively beyond the materials to see texture and form from an artist's perspective as he did. Maybe that's why nowadays I have four ways I model concrete using different materials. None of them are my original idea, and each one works beautifully for a particular situation on the layout.
Excellent work Eric. The attention to and extension of details on a small layout really make such a difference. Chicago Crossing feels so much larger than it is.
Have a great Sunday.
Scott
Thanks Scott, today will be a nice break and off to a football game!
Really nice transformation of the bridge scene building…love all the added details…modifying those DPM kits was something I never though about…maybe try one
Thanks much - and good luck, I modified a DPM in one of my first at the bench videos. Totally doable. At least for N-scale I find the DPM kits to be good filler but don't really think much of the molding or detail quality. The Kelly's Cafe is a Lunde Studios kit which is better, but even then the resin molding is not amazing and I'll probably end up replacing all the windows.
The bridge tender’s house looks great. One thing you might want to do is paint and weather the telephone pole, maybe paint the insulators and add some old wires hanging from them. Your buildings look great. I like how you modified them to keep them up to date. Excellent work!
Totally agree. Those are just Bachman and atlas poles, they’ll be getting replaced with scratch built stuff with better scaling and detail soon :)
One of my favourite layouts for sure, I think everyone wonders about this or that on their layouts but you’ve nailed it 👏
Thank you!! Really appreciate it!
I don't model N and there are only a couple N guys I watch. You put a lot of thought and detail into your layout so I have been watching along!
Awesome thanks Scott I appreciate it! It's been great watching your channel, there are a lot of similarities between where you shoot and where I model, so it's a great resource for me.
What an amazing transformation of the bridge keeper's building and surrounds. The detail that you put into it, while often not immediately noticeable, makes this a living model.
Thanks Mel, much appreciated. If I can get someone (including myself) to linger a bit and look for the little interesting bits it's a success.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR To be honest I think I could spend hours just looking and exclaiming at the details on this layout. This is something that I aspire to and am constantly looking for ways to add detail which do not affect my pocket. Greetings to you from Portugal. 🇵🇹
@@melkitson obrigado! The part about cost is always a tricky one. Maybe 3D printing starts to solve the issue, but the upfront investment for a quality printer and lots of failures in the beginning isn't trivial.
That is outstanding!
Thanks Bruce!
Glad to see all those glorious fallen flag 40' boxcars. I model 1962, so 99% of my rolling stock is fallen flag. The 1% is a Union Pacific boxcar I haven't built yet. 🙂 Cheers from Wisconsin! PS. Great modifications on those buildings to put them in your era. And I'm a BD subscriber, of course.
Thanks Andrew, and I do enjoy running that 'old' stuff, someday I'll get around to weathering it :). I've been following Boomer since Glover Road and I think there's a direct correlation to my skills improving and the start of his channel.
Great work on the layout. I have that same lift bridge kit and plan on incorporating it into a layout project. I've seen many of these types of bridges in NJ that work under automation. An image search of railroad draw bridges in NJ will provide some good reference points for modeling the automation equipment details.
Awesome - thanks for the suggestion, will be checking that out!
Well done!
Thank you!!
With magic of Google Earth and street, you can go everywhere including urban decay in some cities where old buildings, including residential with former ornate really nice façades are now abandonned with partially or totally collapsed roof. Sometimes only 4 walls remain. Some new ways to decorate inside of these, full of vegetation and growing trees among debris, windows frames inside and boarded outside visible through roof. Decays can be fun also.
I agree. There are a few abandoned structures on the layout, though I've not gotten things quite to the stage of 'ruins.'
I’m a fairly recent subscriber and haven’t watched all your videos yet. I was drawn to subscribing because I grew up on the Southside, in the Roseland neighborhood. You have done a great job with your attention to detail and attempting to give the layout a Southside feel. That being said, in my opinion, you have one glaring omission on the layout. I have not seen a single reference to my beloved (albeit disappointing) White Sox. How about a billboard advertisement? 😊
Keep up the good work and entertaining videos
I grew up in a split Cubs/Sox household so I’ve had to keep my allegiances on the down low. But as you say it IS the south side being modeled here…😁
Great layout. Amazing details, but tides???
I dunno…more likely the occasional river flood. My doctorate isn’t in oceanography.
Your layout design, construction, scenery details, operation, and video presentations are exceptional! Would it be possible to obtain a copy of your track plan? I would like to look into building this layout in HO scale. I recently downsized to a senior living community and have a 2BR apartment, so my space is limited. I have been an avid model railroader for over 50 years and just prior to downsizing I had an O-scale, 3-rail hi-rail layout that was featured in the July 2016 Classic Toy Trains. Unfortunately, that layout had to be dismantled and donated; however, I had many years of enjoyment scenicing and operating the layout.
Thanks Carl. I took a look at the contents of Classic Toy Trains and man that looks like an awesome layout. Congrats on creating a work of art. I don't have a particularly useable track plan other than what you see popping up on my videos, which was basically a low-res screenshot of a plan on the 'net. I really didn't know what I was doing back then. Happy to send you that image, at least it's something, just let me know how to get it to you.
Yeah, I agree Boomer models HO but it works well in N scale. Your layout is first cabin, you have packed in a small space a layout you can rail fan or operate.🏅🏆
Thank you Will, where translating HO is tougher is some of those really tiny builds like transformers and small HVAC equipment (plus I'm a klutz) but magnifiers and tweezers have definitely helped :)
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Yes we are at a disadvantage size wise on certain builds. Have you tried his method on Trees and Stairs ? I used to do nothing but Super Trees but slowly I am making Wire trees, I cover the trucks with modeling paste and cover while still wet with colored tile grout . Like I said before you have a great looking layout!
@@wilzdart funny you should mention trees, the supertrees on my layout are becoming denuded of 'leaves' after almost 8 years. Boomer's point about using non-solvent adhesives is being demonstrated in reality on my layout. I'm going to make at least a few 'hero' wire trees and then see how that goes. I love the methodology, glad to hear it's worked for someone on N scale. Did you make any adjustments to wire gauge for this?
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I used matte medium to fix the cover on the limbs. What I did on wire tree armatures was to solder more wires to fill out the trees. Another thing I did was to cover the trunk with paper tape not a lot and applied MM and while still wet sprinkled on colored Tile grout powder. Wire gauge was floral wire. Too bad I can not post a picture.
Tides in Chicago?
I actually misspoke - floods are the issue and river levels rise with weather events like heavy rains.